March 2016

Tuesday, March 1, 2016          Fishin' Fun!  

I hooked up with Bill and Bob for a day on the water. We left their slip at around 1030 hours. After a 20 to 30 minute run to the fishing "pond" we wet the lines. After about 45 minutes we had nothing but a few pin fish in the bucket. 

It was time to find a new "pond." After another 20 minute run, we threw the lines in and in a short time, we were boating some 13 inch Mangrove Snappers. By 1300 hours, we had the boat limit of 15. The next ones we caught would either be thrown back or kept after we culled a smaller one from the group. 

Besides the snappers, we also boated a Razor Back (don't touch it - shines silver with a yellow stripe), a couple of Spanish Mackerel, several yellow tails (all too small to keep), and a puffer.

The wind was less than 10 knots. It was a bright sunny day. We certainly had a good day. The fishing gods were smiling on us today!

Wednesday, March 2, 3016          Joe Is Released!

Thursday, March 3, 2016      Sick Bay!

Friday, March 4, 2016      The Recovery!

Saturday, March 5, 2016          Finally, A Two Miler! 

Colds! We both have colds! Bummer! The sniffles have knocked us down a peg, but today we felt good enough to take a walk. Along the way we photographed some wild flowers.

The Bavarian Fish Sandwich at Fish Tales made for a tasty lunch and the Ceasar Salad rated among the best ever!

After lunch, a trip to Publix was in order. We need provisions for our contribution to tomorrow's brunch at the Marina. 

On the way home, we found the Oceanfront Park, behind the new City Hall which is under construction.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016           Hauled, Painted

Wednesday, March 9, 2016          Goodbye Keys!

Midway Campground at Big Cypress National Preserve

Thursday, March 10, 2016          Indian Rocks Beach!

Launch at Belleair ramp

During our time in IRB, we stayed on the dock of our gracious hosts, Willis and Lucille. We had great fun visiting the Clearwater Yacht Club with them. Who could forget the trivia night, working on the Clearwater Prams and testing out the floatation for the regatta in St. Pete's, a spring training Phillies game, or a trip to check out a campground at the southern end of the island? 

Tuesday, March 22, 2016         Goodbye IRB!  

Haul out at Indian Shores ramp.

Camped at Wildwood KOA, just off of I95.

Three couples came out to talk about Sunshine. Some even take pictures!

Wednesday, March 23, 2016     Goodbye Florida!

Crooked River State Park    

Thursday, March 24, 2016          Huntington State Park!

Friday, March 25, 2016 - Friday, April 1, 2016     Myrtle Beach!

We met Sandi and the grandchildren as planned at about 1500 hours at the Ocean View Condo. We had a two hour snafu with a condo and cleanliness to start, but the resolution was adequate.

The week breezed by. On Wednesday, I went to Doctors Care and was diagnosed with bronchitis. It wasn't a surprise. In fact, the doc confirmed my self diagnosis. He prescribed antibiotics and cough syrup. I couldn't keep up with all of the activities, but managed to hang in for some.

The kids seemed to have fun!

Saturday, April 2, 2016      Carolina Crossroads RV Park

Since we're both under the weather with varying intensities of bronchitis, we decided that rather than stay here for two more days and then launching the boat for our planned Waccamaw River cruise, it might be more prudent to head north. Recovery we'll be more comfortable from the comforts of home.

Sunday, April 3, 2016 Home Sweet Home!

According to the GPS, we had about a 6 1/2 hour drive to get home from the Carolina Crossroads. We are never able to do the time the GPS says. Recognizing this, we usually add an hour or two to account for fuel, food and pit stops. Today, it took us 11 hours to get home!

When we started out, the Bridge Tunnel had a Level 4 restriction. Essentially, it was closed due to high winds. When we reached Emporia, we discovered that the wind had subsided and the Level 4 restriction was removed. We chose to go home up the Eastern Shore. It added about an hour to our trip.

As we unhitched the boat trailer the next morning, we found that the receiver was in the process of failing! The primary culprit, rust, had caused the metal to fatigue. We felt very lucky not to have lost the boat or to have caused an accident while on the interstate.